How to… engage staff and students on energy and carbon
Part of our energy in schools ‘How to…’ series
Whatever actions you hope to take to make your school more sustainable, engaging students and staff is essential for success. In this resource, we will share some tips and resources to improve engagement.
Watch the video
In this online workshop, our energy expert Moira Dorey talks us through the best ways of engaging staff and students in energy and carbon. Watch the short ‘how to’ video here:
Getting started
In the first instance, it is beneficial to consider the specific actions you wish to accomplish. For example, do you want to reduce energy consumption or create an education plan for students? Is this a one-time project or an ongoing effort?
The benefits of engaging pupils on energy and carbon measures include:
- It can help develop key skills.
- It fits in with your curriculum topics.
- It supports ongoing energy efficiency actions within the school.
- It helps students understand how they can report issues.
Resources for pupils
There are many great resources available to help you engage students on several sustainability topics.
The sites below will give you workshop and class resources suitable for both primary and secondary schools:
If you have a longer-term sustainability goal for your school, you might find the resources below useful:
- ECO-Schools (great for engaging students to become more sustainable)
- Let’s go zero (support for setting low carbon targets for your school)
- Energy Sparks Programme (plenty of practical resources for reducing energy use)
Other websites that provide educational resources on related topics are:
- Eat Them To Defeat Them (seasonal and healthy food)
- Oxfordshire County Council School Streets (reducing traffic and encouraging active travel)
Getting staff onboard
The benefits of engaging teachers on energy and carbon measures include:
- Campaigns can guide staff to teach sustainability.
- Provides a connection between learning and reality.
- Acknowledgement from SMT and governors can help motivate staff.
Tips for successfully engaging school staff:
- Have a specific, clear and achievable goal.
- Focus on wanted energy – not poor buildings.
- Keep refreshing your communications to improve impact.
- Where possible, incentivise action.
Always consider that different staff will be motivated by different things, for example, carbon or cost savings or awards.
Summary
- Renew resources for students regularly.
- Take a look at the list of great resources provided.
- Plan staff engagement campaigns and consider their appeal for different staff.
About our webinars and workshops
Events from Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES) are designed to introduce key concepts of energy efficiency, the simple and effective actions that can be taken quickly as well as discussing some of the bigger and more costly solutions that could benefit your school.
They are suitable for Business Managers, Facilities Managers, Head teachers as well other members of the Senior Management Team or any sustainability groups within the school.
